Upper Sacramento River

[Bill Carnazzo]

The Upper Sac flows have dropped somewhat, increasing wading accessibility to those "sweet spots" we all covet. When that happens on this river, the catch rate goes up--and so it has! The river is not yet at normal summer flows, however, and there is still a lot of unfishable white water in spots that normally would be receiving a good dose of Hare's Ears, Prince Nymphs, Poxyback Golden Stones, Copper Johns, and all of the usual suspects. Crossing the river, for skinny dudes like me, is still an adventure that should not be undertaken by inexperienced waders.

I just finished five days of guiding on the river (with a day or two of fishing on my own). My guests landed a lot of fish, mostly in the 8-12 inch range with a few large fish mixed in--in the 16 to 20 inch range. The best flies were #8 Bill's Stick Caddis (due to the heavy presence of October Caddis Larvae in pools and quieter water); #8 Poxyback Golden Stone (a huge hatch this year); #14 tan BH Bird's Nest; #14 Copper John (red); #16, 18 Micromayfly; #14 Dark Lord; and, of course, #14 BH Prince Nymph. For the evening hatches, which are heavy in the big slicks, a #14 EC Caddis or Elk Hair Caddis works well, along with the normal pinkish colored Light Cahill. A #10 Yellow Stimulator will draw up the larger fish in the evening also.

The fish are lying along the "soft" side of seams for the most part; however, in boils and other pockets, the nymphs should be dropped into the froth at the head of the pocket and allowed to work slowly through to the tail out. The strikes will be subtle, especially as the sun gets higher, so it is important to maintain a good tight connection between flies and indicator. Approach carefully, because although the water is still high it is very clear.

All of the water in the town of Dunsmuir is fishing well. DFG does plant this area, normally at the City Park at the North end of town, but there are many wild fish also present. The area between the City Park and the I-5 bridge is productive, as well as the area along South First St. Conant Road is also good, as is Simms Flat in the evening. The Soda Creek area is especially good at this time. The lower river is difficult to fish due to the fact that the flow downstream is increased heavily by tributary creeks between Dunsmuir and Delta.

Anyway enjoy...and see ya on the creek. For more info, you can call me at (916) 663-1604 or (530) 235-4048 (Dunsmuir). Bill Carnazzo.

[Digger]

Now, this is a 1st class fishing report.
Thanks Bill.

[Hairstacker]

Yep, OUTSTANDING report! Thank you Bill!

[MSP]

Careful now Bill, you're going to make a lot of us want to get up there. Excelent information!